Columbus Skate to the Playoffs

The Columbus Blue Jackets, being one of the youngest teams in the league have always struggled to make a name for themselves. Since their inaugural season in 2000, the Jackets have only made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs once in 2009. The possibility of Columbus making the playoffs in the near future seemed bleak due to the recent NHL realignment and the loss of former Captain, Rick Nash. The alignment affected Columbus greatly as they would now play in the Eastern Conference for the first time against big name division rivals, the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburg Penguins, and the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite all the obstacles thrown their way, the Jackets have had their best season yet and qualified for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The qualification for the Cup was made official on Wednesday, April 9th when Columbus defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1. As a Jackets fan I am thrilled to see Columbus make it to the playoffs. According to the NHL, attendance for Blue Jackets games is amongst the lowest in the league. Why is that? People like to see their favorite team succeed and without continued success, no one buys tickets and attend games. Regardless if the Blue Jackets advance in the next round, this season was crucial for the Jacket’s overall success. The qualification for the cup this year makes the upcoming season even more important. Unfortunately, due Pittsburg’s outstanding regular season record, I do not see the Columbus Blue Jackets advancing into the second round. Below are my predictions for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I still have faith.

You Might Also Like

1 Comment

Wow, my bracket was all messed up. Looks like LA were the true underdogs in the playoffs. Hopefully Columbus will do better this season and make it to the playoffs again. Hartnell from Philly sure helps us out.